Cancer and Golf

Hey Y’all!

I haven’t been doing so well at keeping up with my blog. Ugh.

As many of you know, I’m battling cancer. Well, battling is not a good term for what I’m going through. (More later on that.) You see, I have the "good" cancer. When I heard the doctor call my cancer the "good" cancer, I nearly hit him! But, I couldn’t, as I was too weak! So, I just gave him my best glare. That’ll show him!

Well, just to show me, that well educated doctor actually knew what he was talking about! Imagine that! Why my cancer is the "good" cancer is because it is slow growing and has "little" impact. Let me clarify that. I have many family members that have and are battling the "bad" cancer, plus many friends and acquaintances who have the "bad" cancer. I don’t go through 1/10 of the hell that they go through. No chemo, and the easiest radiation one could imagine. Believe or not, that’s why my hair is long. (Again, more on that later.) So, I’m not battling cancer. It’s more like I'm kicking it around a lot. It's down for the count, and I have my boots on, and... nope, too much violence as it is. Use your imagination! Ha!

Plus, my friends and acquaintances really can’t go out and do much. No energy. No zip. Nothing. The chemo alone saps life out of them. And, no golf. Me, I actually go to work. Really, I'm working again. And, doing really well at it. At least, that what's the boss says. Better yet, I play golf again.

Now, cancer hasn’t helped my golf game, but it is a huge blessing I can play golf, though my partners may not think so! FORE! Sorry about that missed shot. Really. The swelling should go down before you know it.

Anyway, I don’t have quite the zip I used to have. But, I can still work (but 40-hours a week is IT! So, forget working at Microsoft!) I can still see my kids and grandkids. (Yes, I know, I’m wwwaaaaayyyyy to young...) But, I have enough zip to drive, play golf, teach Sunday School (though some parents may wonder "who is this nut teaching our kids?"), and, I can still praise God for my every breath, my rising each day, for prayer (answered and not) and for my loving family. Can anyone ask for anything more?

Yes, there is still more. I have to have more surgery. Two more sneaky lymph-nodes hiding out being bad. Ugh. Then, more radiation... that only attacks the cancer! Not good cells! (I thought the cancer would cause my hair to fall out, so I let it grow. Ha! Now, I’m hairy!)

So, cancer isn’t always bad, in more sense of the word than one. It’s amazing what God can teach you at these times. And, you may get to grow long hair for the first time in your life, because the radiation doesn’t make it fall out. (At least the iodine-131 doesn’t!) Whatever God allows your way, just remember, life is good when you are in God.

Chet "Don’t Call Me Bad Golfer, Call Me A Challenged Golfer" Dickenson